The Bird Atlas
Flamingos, storks, raptors — Morocco's position on the Atlantic flyway and 500+ species
Over 500 bird species have been recorded in Morocco — resident, breeding, wintering, and passage migrants. The number exceeds France, Spain, or any single European country. The reason is geography: Morocco straddles four biomes (Mediterranean, Atlantic, montane, and Saharan) and sits at the narrowest crossing point between Europe and Africa.
The Strait of Gibraltar is 14 kilometres wide. Every autumn, hundreds of millions of birds funnel through this bottleneck on their southward migration. Raptors — short-toed eagles, booted eagles, Egyptian vultures, black kites — soar on thermals above the strait. White storks cross in flocks of thousands. Passerines cross at night.
Souss-Massa National Park, south of Agadir, protects one of the last wild populations of the Northern Bald Ibis — a critically endangered species with fewer than 700 individuals worldwide. Morocco holds over 95% of the remaining wild population. The birds nest on coastal cliffs and feed in the semi-arid steppe behind the shore.
Merja Zerga, a lagoon on the Atlantic coast near Moulay Bousselham, is one of the most important wetlands in North Africa. Greater flamingos winter here in flocks of thousands. Spoonbills, avocets, marsh harriers, and dozens of wader species use the lagoon as a refuelling stop.
The Middle Atlas cedar forests shelter Barbary macaques but also boreal species — crossbills, firecrests, and goshawks — at their southernmost range. The Saharan edge produces desert specialists: cream-coloured coursers, desert sparrows, and Dupont's lark.
Birding tourism is growing but remains niche. The infrastructure exists — guides in Oualidia, Merja Zerga, the Todra Gorge, and the Saharan fringe offer specialist tours. Morocco's birding potential is vastly underexploited compared to East Africa, despite species counts that rival Kenya.
Explore the full interactive module — with migration route maps, species checklists, and birding hotspots across Morocco — at Dancing with Lions: https://www.dancingwiththelions.com/data/bird-atlas
Interactive Module
Data and visualisation by Dancing with Lions
